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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28112031">The Little Owl</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganFaire/pseuds/MorganFaire'>MorganFaire</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bleach</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Original Character(s), Other, Pining, Pre-Canon, Serious Injuries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:48:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,567</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28112031</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganFaire/pseuds/MorganFaire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shunsui finally meets the young girl Ukitake has been telling him about for the past ~12 years.<br/>A/N: The OC here is the same in TWPATWK &amp; RTSMS, but this can absolutely be read as a standalone piece of short fiction.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kyouraku Shunsui &amp; Ukitake Juushirou, Kyouraku Shunsui/Ukitake Juushirou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Little Owl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Contains romaji (japanese words written in the latin alphabet) which will be translated in the END NOTES. Will appear in bold italics.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The pillars of smoke can be seen from miles around, but the unmistakable odour of burning flesh can also be <em>smelt</em> for miles. Whew boy, that's a smell I'll never grow accustomed too! I know I'm getting closer to the ruined building when I hear the clamour of water pails and the splashing of water. The single level residence would've been rather modest-looking, and certainly not as extravagent as old man Ginrei's manor. The wealth of the Fujimori Clan had apparently been declining since the birth of the youngest, and now only surviving family member - Michiko. I've heard a lot about her over the years from Ukitake, but I've never actually seen her. As tragic as it is that she is now an orphan, it does mean she can finally join Seireitei!</p><p>"Kyouraku, what are you doing out here?"</p><p>"I came to help!" I say, offering my white-haired friend a smile and a clean rag. "Here, no good covering your face with a rag full of smoke and ash."</p><p>He coughs into the new rag, but thankfully it sounds different to the coughing fits he gets with his illness. "Thanks," he murmurs. "Does Yamamoto-sensei know you're here?"</p><p>When Kaien-kun told me why Ukitake wouldn't be in Seireitei for a few days, I went straight to Yama-jii. He'd apparently been expecting me. Quite unnerving, actually, how he just seems to <em>know</em> these things. "Sure does," I answer with a nod.</p><p>Ukitake looks around for anyone nearby who might be listening before leading me further away from the crowds. "They recovered a body earlier. It had no head, Kyouraku. This wasn't an accident," he explains. "And no-one outside of you, me, and Kaien-kun knows of Mikko's survival. If possible, I'd like to keep it that way. At least for a short while."</p><p>The look in his eyes makes me feel uneasy. "You think whoever did this--" I stop myself from saying anything further when a guard walks purposefully towards us.</p><p>The young man bows to both of us before addressing Ukitake. "Ukitake-sama, the flames've been quenched. There ain't much left, but there's more bodies."</p><p>"I expected as much. Thank-you, Saburou-san."</p><p>He bows again before moving away, and I turn back to see Ukitake looking even paler than normal. "Perhaps you should head back to the house. I can secure anything that might've survived, and maybe bring some of it up there?"</p><p>"I couldn't protect her, Kyouraku. This...none of this should have happened!"</p><p>I've lost count of all the times we've had conversations like this. "I know I've never met her, but from all you've told me, do you <em>really </em>think Fujimori-chan would want you working yourself into such a state?!"</p><p>His eyes had gone wide with shock at my sudden abrasiveness, and he only shakes his head bashfully in response.</p><p>"All she ever needed was someone to love her and care for her. At the end of the day, that's all anyone needs."</p><hr/><p>It's past sunset by the time we trudge back up the hill to Ukitake's family home. It would've been quicker to just shunpo straight to the outer gates, but he was adamant that he wanted to walk. At first I figured he wanted the fresh air after all those hours spent standing beneath the thick blanket of smoke, but his frequent pauses to examine the ground and grass quickly make me reconsider. "You looking for something?" I ask, shifting the small chest in my arms once again. It's surprisingly heavy.</p><p>"When Saburou-san carried her inside, he told me Mikko must have walked this way from the back of her home. None of the outer patrols spotted her, you see, and this is the only 'blind-spot'," he explains, still crouching in the grass. I turn briefly to look back down the hill towards the burned shell of Fujimori-chan's old home. Perhaps it's the chest I'm carrying, or maybe my age is finally catching up with me, but this walk's been rough on my joints. The thought of doing it with any kind of injury...it seems like an impossible feat. I'm about to comment on the absurdity of the theory when Ukitake stands up with blood on his fingers. "It's Mikko's. She did come this way," he shakes his head in disbelief, and I can only mirror his reaction. </p><p>"How's she doing?"</p><p>He glances in my direction briefly before walking on towards his home. "She's in a bad way, Kyouraku. All I can do is hope and pray that she can pull through."</p><p>Were it not for the wooden chest in my arms I would reach out and do something, anything, to show him I'm here for him. Even just a pat on the shoulder. A simple gesture, sure, but it's one that can communicate all sorts of things. Sometimes...words just aren't reliable enough for things like that. When we reach the gates, I recognise one of the guards to be the one who'd spoken to Ukitake earlier.</p><p>"Saburou-san, did your shift not end?"</p><p>"Y-yessir, it just ended. But I wanted to wait, you see. To make sure the next guards know not to mention anything of young Fujimori-san being here."</p><p>"I will always appreciate your work ethic, Saburou-san. Now please, go on home to your lady wife and get some rest before your child is born!"</p><p>Ukitake's compassion for those around him has always humbled me. Even on a day like this, when he almost lost someone he cares deeply for, he still ensures the wellbeing of others before himself. He actively listens to everyone he meets, learns about the lives of those who work in and around his house. It's no surprise to me that young Fujimori-chan feels so safe here. Ukitake and the young guard exchange some more words before the latter walks away. I hear him chuckle briefly to himself as he walks through the gates and heads inside. It's close to fifty years now since I was last here but I still recall the general layout. At the very least, I know enough to not get lost!</p><p>We come to a stop outside a screen door and Ukitake turns to me with a look of pain in his eyes. "I should check on her first," he whispers. I nod in reply and he slips through the doorway. Instead of trying to listen to the muffled conversation, I think of everything Ukitake's told me over the last twelve years of the curious girl. I hadn't ever asked to meet her, and he'd never invited me to see her until now. I'm not entirely sure how long I stay in my thoughts for before the door in front of me slides open once more. The smell of healing ointments and balms overpower my nose and make my eyes water as I take my first steps into the chamber.</p><p>Seeing her for the first time, I almost don't want my vision to clear. Though mostly wrapped in bandages, the skin that's still visible looks like a grotesque camoflage of purples, blacks, and greens. I try to smile.</p><p>"Mikko, there's someone I would like for you to meet. Is that okay?"</p><p>"Of course," she says in a small voice. "Jyuushi-nii, why does he cry?"</p><p>It's only then that I feel the water working its way from my eye and down my cheek. I set the chest I'd been carrying down on the floor to wipe it away. "Ah, sorry. I've never smelt so many herbs in one place before! It's nice to meet you at last, Fujimori-chan."</p><p>Her large eyes flicker briefly to the object on the floor before coming back to me. "Would you please tell me your name?"</p><p>I take a seat at her bedside and gesture towards some parchment and brushes on the side table. "Ukitake's told me you like to see names written down. Do you mind?"</p><p>Her eyes light up when she smiles and she nods as enthusiastically as she can.</p><p>On the right-hand side of the parchment, I write out the first two characters of my name before turning it to her. "So, this first part's read as 'Kyouraku'. These characters mean 'capital' and 'music'. That's my family's name," after writing out the <strong><em>furigana</em></strong>, I move on to the second set of characters. "And this reads as 'Shunsui', with the meaning being 'spring water', or even 'water from melting snow'."</p><p>Her eyes dart over the four large characters I'd written on the paper, tracing the stroke orders and absorbing everything I'd told her about what they mean. There's such intelligence and wisdom contained in them. "Kyouraku Shuun-. No<em>,</em> Shunsui. Thank you for teaching me, Kyouraku-sama. If it would not be too troublesome for you, uhm, it is just that I do not much like my own family name right now. What I mean to say is," clearly getting flustered, she looks to Ukitake.</p><p>He steps forward and stands next to the bed. "What Mikko wants to ask, is if you would call her by her first name."</p><p>"I see, I see. So I guess I'll call you Michiko-chan, then?"</p><p>She grins so widely that her eyes scrunch closed. "Such a mouthful! But I will not object."</p><p>The way her eyes reflect the candlelight when she opens them again..."You look like a little owl."</p><p>And no matter how much it must hurt her to do so, she laughs.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just the one translation/explanation today, unless I missed something?!?<br/>Furigana - Kanji can be read in many different ways, so pronunciation is written over/alongside in hiragana.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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